Haunted
by Smexy Kitten
Summary: DISCONTINUED Members of the Reikai Tantei are having trouble sleeping. They keep having disturbing dreams that are taking their toll on the weary detectives. But the dreams are not what they appear to be. Pairings: KB, YK, KY. Please R&R. Ch.6 now added!
1. Chapter 1

This is my very first fic. I'm really excited, as you can imagine. This is mainly a KuramaxBotan fic. There will also be some KeikoxYusuke and KuwabaraxYukina moments as well. And don't worry Hiei fans, your favorite three-eyed koorime will definitely be present throughout this fic. Please read and review. I would really appreciate it. Constructive criticism will be welcome, which also includes flamers. But I have to warn you, if you choose to flame, please choose your words carefully. Other than that, on with the story……….

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**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. If I did, Kurama and Botan would have hooked up, and so would have Mukuro and Hiei.

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**Haunted

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_**Chapter 1**_

He ran towards a familiar figure. He was shouting her name frantically, his heart racing. He couldn't wait to tell her. She was standing in a field filled with beautiful flowers. She fell to the ground. He ran even faster to her side, his eyes filling with worry and concern. He lifted her into his arms and turned her around. He felt a warm liquid pass through his fingers.

The liquid was warm and crimson. The liquid was blood.

Tears streamed down his flawless visage. He had lost her. He would never again hear her laugh or revel in her company. He cradled her lifeless body in his arms, all the while rocking her as if she were asleep. He began to sob uncontrollably.

_"I told you that she would never be yours…." _cackled an eerie, yet familiar voice.

He jerked out of bed. He blinked a couple of times before realizing that he was back inside his room. He glanced at the clock. It was 3:35 am. He had a couple of hours left before he had to wake up for school. He then noticed that he was drenched in his own sweat. His shirt and pillow were soaked. He was trembling, something that came as a great surprise to him.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and changed his shirt and his pillow. When that was all said and done with, he finally drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

Little did he know that someone else had had thesame exactdream in reverse. The only difference was that she could not, and _chose_ not, to go back to sleep. She eventually cried herself into an uneasy slumber.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_

_"Finally, everything is going according to plan. Soon, stage two will be put into action,"_ said the eerie voice, as he watched the two from his observation mirrors.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_

Shuuichi Minamino, better known as Kurama, walked down the street towards Sariyashski High School. He was still exhausted from the events of last night. Never had there been a dream, or nightmare rather, that had riled him up so much. He could not put his finger on it, but something was bothering him immensely. He was so deep in thought that he did not even notice when two of his closest friends had begun to walk with him. Yusuke Urameshi and Kazuma Kuwabara had been arguing when they laid eyes on the kitsune.

"You really need to think about getting a brain transplant, Dufus boy!" shouted the raven-haired teen.

"You just wait, Urameshi! I'll pound your face into the ground so hard that even Keiko wouldn't look at you!" the tall boy replied.

"Like you would have a snowball's chance in hell! Right, Kurama," said Yusuke, but he never got a response. The red-haired teen had never even heard a word of the conversation. He was too caught up in his own thoughts.

Yusuke could obviously see this and was curious to know what could have deterred his friend so much that he could not even pay attention to his petty fight with Kuwabara. He decided to take matters into his own hands.

"HEY, EARTH TO FOXBOY!"

"Oh! Yusuke! Kuwabara! When did you arrive?" asked a very surprised Kurama, sweatdropping when he saw both teens staring at him.

"What could have possibly been so important that you had to ignore me and Kuwabara?"

"Just wondering about the teachers' lessons plans for today," the clever kitsune answered quickly.

Yusuke fell down anime style. He wasn't buying it, but decided to go along with the fox's story anyway. "I swear, Kurama, is that all you ever think about?"

"You can read me like a book, Yusuke," replied a slightly nervous Kurama.

"Hey, what are you two babbling about?" came a familiar voice from behind the two teens. They had almost forgotten that Kuwabara was with them.

"It's nothing to worry about Kuwabara. Yusuke and I were just talking about today's upcoming school day," Kurama said.

"Oh, well then, if that's all. I was just making sure that no one was leaving me out of the loopty-loop."

"You don't have to worry about that, Kuwabara. You do a wonderful job of that all by yourself," came Yusuke's expected reply.

Kuwabara hit Yusuke and their domestic squabble began again. Kurama forgot about the dream and smiled at his two companions.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_

The school day went by without a hitch. To Yusuke and Kuwabara, it was the end to another boring day, but to Kurama, it was the grueling end to an already stress-filled day. When the final bell rang, he ran to his locker and gathered his belongings. He exited the school and decided to wait for Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Keiko Yukimura, Yusuke's girlfriend. He was startled when he felt a hand tap his shoulder. He spun around, surprised at what he saw before him.

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Hey, that's the end of Chapter 1. Sry that it was so short before, but I fixed that problem.The next chapter will be longer tho. Hope that ya liked it. Sry for the cliffhanger tho, I just couldn't resist myself, hehe... Please R&R. ;-P 


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, I would just like to take the time to thank some of my fans, lol…

**crescentmoon-cat:** I am so happy that you really like this story. I only hope that I don't let you down, lol.

**unknown-wonder:** Yeah, I really didn't like the fact that Chap. 1 was so short, but I revised it so that it is longer than it was before. Thanks for helping me out w/ that and I hope that you like the new extended version.

**Koway Oceshia:** You dodo! (like the bird, lol) I hope that you like this chapter. (ps: Neon Genesis Evangelion (inside joke) lol…)

**ShyLilSweety:** As I told unknown-wonder, I extended the first chapter. I would also like to tell ya that I am very pleased to meet another KuramaxBotan fan. I am also honored to have my story put up on ur story alert list. Thank you, you have really made my day.

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_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. If I did, I would have so much power……..(laughs evilly…… ;-P)

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**Haunted

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_Chapter 2 _**

It was Botan. A friendly smile worked its way across his gorgeous features.

"Why hello there, Kurama!" greeted the bubbly deity. "Where are Yusuke and the others?"

"I gather that they are still collecting their belongings, but I believe that they will be out soon."

"Oh, ok."

There was an awkward silence between the two. Kurama looked up only to catch Botan staring at him. When she finally noticed this, she quickly turned around and blushed. Kurama's smile only deepened as he watched the deity shyly.

"Awww…….. Don't they make such a cute couple!" came a patronizing, yet recognizable male voice.

Botan and Kurama turned around only to find Yusuke, Keiko, and Kuwabara staring at them.

"Is there something going on here that we should know about, Kurama?" asked a very curious Yusuke. Both apparitions blushed an even deeper shade of beet red.

Keiko's hand was in the air as she slapped the Spirit Detective on the back of the head. "Yusuke, stop it! You're embarrassing them!"

"No, it's quite alright, Keiko. Botan and I were just talking. That's all." said a very flustered Kurama.

Botan felt her heart drop. She was disappointed with his answer, but showed no signs of this. Keiko, on the other hand, knew her best friend all too well. She decided that she would have to talk to Botan later.

"By the way, Botan, why exactly are you here?" asked Kuwabara.

"Oh, dear! I almost forgot! Koenma has another case for you."

"Like that's a surprise," muttered Yusuke before he was smacked by his girlfriend yet again.

"He's waiting for you at Genkai's temple. It's very urgent."

"Tell toddler breath and the old hag that we'll all be there at 8."

"It's a date. See you then." And with that, Botan summoned her oar and flew off towards the elderly physic's temple.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_

The appointed time came. Soon, Yusuke, Keiko, Kuwabara, Shizuru, Kurama, and even Hiei had gathered together inside the main temple hall. Genkai, Botan, Koenma (in his teenage form), and Yukina were already waiting for them. As soon as everyone was seated, with the exception of Hiei in his preferred corner, the Prince of Reikai began his tale.

"I guess that all of you are wondering why I have gathered you all here tonight. I would have to assume that Botan has already filled you in with the basics of the matter at hand."

Everyone nodded and Koenma proceeded with his story. "As you all have noticed, things have been calm in Ningenkai and Reikai. Even Makai has been mysteriously silent for the past 6 months." Some eyes widened when they heard this.

The Reikai heir continued. "But, as of late, I have been receiving reports from Spirit World intelligence that an A-Class demon has somehow gotten through the Kekkai Barrier and is now hiding out here in the human world."

"And let me guess. You want us to clean up after you, right Koenma," answered a very surprised and annoyed Yusuke.

"We don't have time for your half-assed routine, dimwit!" roared Genkai. Yusuke was about to give a reply, but decided against it. Instead, he made another comment.

"So, what the hell is the bastard's name anyway?"

Koenma's face was blunt. The only time that any of the spirit detectives had ever seen him be this serious was during the fight at Demon's Door Cave. He said one word.

"Sensui."

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You ppl already know how much I love my cliffhangers. Thanks for all of the reviews. You ppl really do make me feel loved. I called one of my friends after I got my first review for "Listen To Your Heart". I was going nuts, even my grandma thought that something was wrong w/ me, lolz… 

Anywayz, I just wanted to say thanks again. Hopefully, it won't take me too long to get Ch.3 up. Please keep reading and reviewing. And once again, thank you! ;-P


	3. Chapter 3

**_Author's Notes:_** As a warning, I just wanted to tell you guys now that I changed the timing to some things. The Makai Tournment happened 3 months after the Chapter Black saga ended. Hiei, Kurama, and Yusuke were only gone for a year. Hiei did not stay with Mukuro. Yusuke and Kurama came back to the Ningenkai to finish high school. Kurama is a 17-year-old junior and everyone else (Yusuke, Keiko, and Kuwabara) is a 16-year-old sophomore.

(This is mainly an explanation for Yusuke's _Raizen _comment and it is also here to serve as an explanation for later chapters.)

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I would like to take this time to thank those of you who have been reading and reviewing for the time being. I really do appreciate it. You guys are the ones who keep me going, lol... **_

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Disclaimer:_** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of the characters. The plot, however, belongs to lil old me…….. (laughs evilly…… ;-P)**_

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**Haunted

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**_Chapter 3 _**

"Sensui." That was what the child ruler had said. That one word sent shivers down everyone's spines, even Hiei shivered a little.

Keiko had fainted, falling into Botan's arms. She herself could barely even hold her own frame up. Shizuru's cigarette had fallen out of her mouth. Yukina held onto Kuwabara for support, all the while trembling himself. The news shocked Hiei so much that he came out of his corner to sit with everyone else. Kurama tried to remain calm, but his emerald eyes betrayed him. Yusuke went from edgy to angry in 5 seconds flat. Genkai just sat there and began to sip some hot tea.

"Whaddya mean? He's alive!" shouted Yusuke.

"Yes, very much so," was the only thing that Koenma could say in return.

"But I, or Raizen, for that matter, killed Sensui!"

"Apparently not if he is hiding out in Ningenkai, baka," answered Hiei.

"Don't start with me now, three-eyes!"

"Stop it, both of you!" yelled Botan, still holding an unconscious Keiko. She had spoken out for the first time since the meeting began. Everyone was surprised, even Koenma. "We don't have time for this. As Koenma has just told you, we have a very powerful demon to find and capture." Everyone was staring at Botan in shock. It was very rare to see the ferry girl speak out so boldly. The others remained speechless.

"She's right." A deep, soft male voice broke through the silence. Kurama was looking straight at Botan. She saw this and a pinkish hue appeared across her face. "We need to keep focus on this pressing matter."

Yusuke noticed this, but turned his attention back to the current situation. He suddenly thought of something. "Hey, you said that an A-class demon by the name of Sensui was on the loose."

Everyone understood where Yusuke was going. "How did he become a demon, let alone a high class one? Because the last time that I checked, that psycho was a human."

Everyone turned their attention over to Koenma. "I was getting to that, Yusuke."

At that moment, Keiko began to stir. When she finally awoke, Botan filled her in and they turned back to Koenma.

"When this case resurfaced, I have to admit that it caught me off guard. My father didn't even see this coming."

Kurama stood up. "Koenma, do you know anything else about Sensui?"

"Yes. As a matter of fact, I can show you." And with that, the Reikai teen pulled out a briefcase. It resembled the one that Botan had taken with her during the tunnel to Makai case. Once opened, it revealed a monitor with a miniature control consol. "Let me adjust the frequency so that everyone can watch," Koenma said.

Within a few seconds, the screen was on. It was blurry, but soon came into focus.

_**/tv fuzz clears/**_

A smiling Itsuki appeared, holding a dagger in his right hand. He raised it to his left palm and struck himself. Blood began to ooze from the wound.

He then walked over to a lifeless Sensui. He repeated the process with the former Spirit Detective's left hand as well.

Itsuki then sat down next to his fallen comrade and folded his arms and legs. He grabbed Sensui's bloody hand and held it with his own, making sure that their bloody wounds were making contact. He closed his eyes and began to summon his spirit and demon energy. A light green aura surrounded the 'Gatekeeper'. He also began to absorb Ura-Otoko's (the demon, or pet, that he controls) demon energy. Itsuki's aura transformed from light green to black in a matter of seconds. Keeping his eyes closed, he began to chant.

_"Power within,  
with all your might;  
release your hold,  
show me the light."_

Sensui's body was enveloped in an atmosphere of yellow.

_"Guide his soul  
right to my side;  
infuse him with power,  
strengthen him with pride."_

A small, dark cloud made its way next to the chanter, his eyes still closed. Itsuki smirked. He could sense it. It, the cloud, was Sensui's soul.

_"Cleanse his body, mind, and soul;  
purge him of disease and strife."_

At this point, the former Spirit Detective's body rose several inches off the ground. His soul now hovered above his limp form. Itsuki's light was fading, transferring his power and Ura-Otoko's into Sensui's body. Their blood-soaked hands were still holding onto each other.

_"Return Sensui to his proper place;  
inside his body, where resides his life  
and his grace."_

Itsuki opened his eyes, which were engulfed in a bright, white light. Sensui's soul had merged with his body once again, encasing the 'Dark Angel' in a cloud of black and blue haze. The smoke began to clear and his body floated gently back down to the ground. Itsuki was exhausted. Sweat cascaded down his face. He finally let go of Sensui's hand.

The man began to stir. Itsuki could not conceal his joy for long. The man sat up and looked at his tired comrade. "Welcome back, Shinobu," greeted the demon.

"It's good to be back. I have never felt better! What did you do, Gatekeeper?" asked the refreshed, but confused man. He suddenly noticed his bloody left hand.

"I revived you combing my spirit and demon energy and also the demon energy of my Yaminade. I had to cut your hand to get access to your supply of Sacred Energy, which was locked in your blood. In order for the incantation to work, I also had to cut my palm because blood from a living being was needed to activate the reviving process. By putting our wounds together, I was able to combine all three types of energy to heal your body and summon your soul. You no longer have that life-threatening disease or those six other personalities to worry about. I have neutralized them all." Itsuki was now smiling triumphantly. "There is one side effect though, Shinobu," said the feeble demon, "you have now become a demon like myself. You are now an upper A-Class demon. The only demon to master and wield the power of the Sacred Energy." Itsuki was now beaming.

"Is that all, Itsuki?" inquired the former Spirit Detective.

"Yes. And now, we can finally be together," replied the exasperated demon.

"Actually, Itsuki, I have other plans."

And with that, Sensui stood up and raised his right hand. A black beam of energy erupted from his palm. The demon was too weak and stunned to defend himself. The energy hit him square in the chest, right in the heart.

"Why, Shinobu?" cried the dying Gatekeeper.

"Let's just say that I have some unfinished business to take care of, old friend," replied Sensui.

Itsuki fell in a heap to the floor, in a pool of his own blood. He was dead.

Sensui walked over to his former partner. "I never could stand that retarded sissy fag anyway."

Ura-Otoko could sense that something was wrong. Sensui took note of this and snapped his fingers. A blaze of fire engulfed the other feeble demon and the body of his fallen master. The Yaminade screeched in horror and pain as the fire took its toll on its body. With a happy smirk, Sensui snapped his fingers again and disappeared.

_**/tv fuzz reappears/**_

The screen became blurry once again. Koenma closed the briefcase. Everyone was silent. Even Genkai had stopped sipping her tea.

Yusuke was the first to speak. "What in the hell was _that_?"

"I believe that was our next case, baka," responded the fire koorime.

"Yeah, I know that, but how did you ever get that footage?" asked a very lost Yusuke.

"As it turns out, a member of the Spirit Defense Force (SDF) was able to place a miniature camera inside of Ura-Otoko without being sensed or noticed," explained Koenma. "It was found in a pile of ashes just outside a forest in demon world. There was a tracking device in the camera, which made it easy for the SDF to find." The child ruler had a sick look on his teen façade. "And just in case you were wondering, the pile of ashes were identified to be the remains of Itsuki and Ura-Otoko."

Everyone, except for Hiei, Genkai, and Shizuru, went deathly white. They could not believe their ears.

"Yeah, but that still doesn't explain how he became a demon." The Spirit Detective looked frustrated.

"Actually, it's a very ancient makai myth." Everyone turned their attention towards Kurama. "It is said that when a great amount of spirit and demon energy are combined with Sacred Energy, they alone wield enough power to resurrect 100 normal humans. But for demons and special humans, it's very different." Kurama looked out a nearby window. "It can turn a very powerful, deceased human into a high level demon. In this case, Sensui."

"He's right." Koenma stood up. He reached into the pockets of his royal robes. He pulled out nine, black communication compacts.

"I want all of you to remain in constant contact with me and with each other," said the Prince of Reikai while handing out the compacts.

"What are you going to do now, Koenma?" asked the ferry girl.

"I am going back to Spirit World to see if I can find anything else out." The young god-ling gathered his belongings and headed for a portal near the door. "I'll be in touch. In the meantime, get some sleep." And with that, Koenma stepped through the portal and vanished.

Genkai turned to face the bewildered group. "I want all of you to stay here and spend the night. We will come up with a plan of action tomorrow," offered the elderly psychic.

"Buddy system!" exclaimed Kuwabara. Everyone looked at the carrot-haired teen. "I mean I think that we should pick a partner and share a room with them, for safety purposes."

"Wow, your first decent idea of the year," retorted Hiei in that drawling tone of his.

"The idiot is right," began an amused Genkai.

"For once," added Hiei.

"Hey, shrimp if you got --" Kuwabara started on a comeback, but was interrupted by Genkai.

"Both of you, shut up! Kuwabara has a point. Now, go and choose your partners. I am going to put up a protective barrier around the entire compound."

Genkai rose from her seat and headed out the door.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_

Shizuru and Yukina decided to share a room. It was difficult to get Hiei to remain at the temple. Kurama was the only one who could convince the koorime to stay. Now, since the kitsune was the only one who he could stand to be around, everyone thought that it would best that they bunk together in one of the spare rooms, thus avoiding a murderous rampage on Hiei's part. Yusuke and Kuwabara fought over who was going to get the top bunk. Of course, Yusuke won. Meanwhile, Botan and Keiko headed off to their room for the night. Genkai went to bed in her own room.

While they were getting ready to go to sleep, Keiko remembered her self-made promise to her best friend. She chose this time to talk to Botan about Kurama.

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I would like to thank all of you for having the patience to wait for Chap. 3. It took me a while to make sure that I got every detail right before I typed it up, lol… Hope that all of ya enjoyed it. Plz R&R. Your comments help me out so much…. ;-P 

**_- Kit -_**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Author's Notes:_** I forgot to mention in the last chapter that I also fixed it so that Yusuke and his team were reinstated as the Reikai Tantei once again. King Yama saw how Yusuke handled the situation in makai with the Demon Tournament and was very impressed. He also noted how the Spirit Detective was in complete control of his Ma-zakou powers, as well as Kurama's control over Youko and Hiei's mastery of the 'darkness technique'. He saw no threat or harm in the boys, so he granted Yusuke a full pardon and gave him permission to continue his detective work.

(I also wanted to mention that in human form, Botan looks like a 16-year-old girl; Koenma, in teen form, looks 19; Shizuru is 22; Hiei and Yukina are 18)

**_

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Disclaimer:_** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of the characters. The plot and the storyline are figments of my imagination. -stares off into space with an evil grin- (laughs evilly…… ;-P) (gots ta luv the evilness, lol)**

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Haunted**_**

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Chapter 4 **_

Keiko tapped Botan on the shoulder. "Um, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure." The deity turned around and flashed Keiko a bubbly smile. "What's up?"

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Kurama."

Botan's features fell and she walked over to a window and opened it.

Keiko continued. "I wanted to talk about what happened earlier at school today."

The ferry girl said nothing and stared at the penetrating darkness outside.

"Look, Botan, I really think that we need to talk about this," argued Keiko.

"There's nothing to talk about, Keiko, because nothing happened."

"That's a lie and you know it! I saw what happened today, and I wouldn't call it nothing."

**_/flashback/_**

_There was an awkward silence between the two. Kurama looked up only to catch Botan staring at him. When she finally noticed this, she quickly turned around and blushed. Kurama's smile only deepened as he watched the deity shyly._

_"Awww…….. Don't they make such a cute couple!" came a patronizing, yet recognizable male voice._

_Botan and Kurama turned around only to find Yusuke, Keiko, and Kuwabara staring at them._

_"Is there something going on here that we should know about, Kurama?" asked a very curious Yusuke. Both apparitions blushed an even deeper shade of beet red._

_Keiko's hand was in the air as she slapped the Spirit Detective on the back of the head. "Yusuke, stop it! You're embarrassing them!"_

_"No, it's quite alright, Keiko. Botan and I were just talking. That's all." said a very flustered Kurama._

_Botan felt her heart drop. She was disappointed with his answer, but showed no signs of this. Keiko, on the other hand, knew her best friend all too well. She decided that she would have to talk to Botan later._

**_/end flashback/_**

"Botan, I could tell that what he said hurt you."

The ferry girl ignored the comment.

"Are you okay with ignoring your feelings?"

"Why wouldn't I be okay? Nothing happened." Botan's voice began to crack. "I'm okay, if that's what you wanted to hear."

Keiko rose from her seat on the bed and walked over to Botan. Her face was now buried in her arms.

She put a comforting hand on the deity's shoulder. "Are you sure that you'll be fine?" asked the brown-haired girl.

Botan didn't answer. Keiko took this as an opportunity to question her friend about her feelings.

"Botan, this may be none of my business, but, do you have feelings for Kurama?"

At that point, the silent apparition raised her head and stared at the star-filled sky. Keiko could see crystal tears gently rolling down her face. For a while, the two girls stood in silence while looking out the window. Finally, Botan spoke out.

"I do have feelings for him, Keiko." She lowered her eyes and looked straight out in front of her. "I like him a lot."

"Then you should tell him that."

Botan turned around and looked at Keiko, her amethyst orbs filled with longing and pain. She answered her friend in a very stern manner. "No."

"And why not?"

"Because I already got his answer today, Keiko. I don't feel like being rejected by the same guy twice."

"You're being too hard on yourself, Botan."

"Am I, Keiko? Because from where I'm standing, it's clear that Kurama doesn't want to have anything to do with me!"

"Will you stop being so hard-headed for once, Botan!" Keiko was determined to get her message through. "You owe it to him and to yourself. It isn't fair to either one of you if you aren't going to be honest about your feelings."

The ferry girl was taken aback by her best friend's behavior. She knew that Keiko was right, but she didn't want to admit that to herself.

Keiko noticed that it was getting late. She decided to drop it and could only hope that she had steered her friend in the right direction.

The brown-haired teen yawned. "I'm going to bed. You coming?"

Botan smiled weakly, then turned her attention back towards the starry sky. "In a little while."

Keiko looked at the deity. _'If only you knew how Kurama felt about you in return,'_ thought the teen as she hopped into bed and drifted off into sleep.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_

Yusuke and Kurama were the only ones left in the living room. They had been sitting in silence for quite some time now, each musing over their own thoughts. Kurama had been thinking about Botan. He had felt like a fool in front of her when Yusuke, Keiko, and Kuwabara had stumbled upon them. Before he knew it, his mouth had been faster than his mind. _"No, it's quite alright, Keiko. Botan and I were just talking. That's all."_ Those words had even surprised him. Even though he wished he could, Kurama knew that it was too late to take it back.

Yusuke, on the other hand, noticed that Kurama had been staring off into space for quite some time. He then remembered something during their conversation with Koenma.

**_/flashback/_**

_"But I, or Raizen, for that matter, killed Sensui!"_

_"Apparently not if he is hiding out in Ningenkai, baka," answered Hiei._

_"Don't start with me now, three-eyes!"_

_"Stop it, both of you!" yelled Botan, still holding an unconscious Keiko. She had spoken out for the first time since the meeting began. Everyone was surprised, even Koenma. "We don't have time for this. As Koenma has just told you, we have a very powerful demon to find and capture." Everyone was staring at Botan in shock. It was very rare to see the ferry girl speak out so boldly. The others remained speechless._

_"She's right." A deep, soft male voice broke through the silence. Kurama was looking straight at Botan. She saw this and a pinkish hue appeared across her face. "We need to keep focus on this pressing matter."_

_Yusuke noticed this, but turned his attention back to the current situation._

**_/end flashback/_**

The Spirit Detective looked at the kitsune, who was still stuck in a strange trance.

"Hey, Kurama, is everything okay?" inquired the chocolate-eyed teen.

"Oh, yes, everything is fine, Yusuke," answered the red-head. Yusuke wasn't buying it, but went along with it anyway. He had suspected that the fox spirit was thinking about a certain blue-haired deity.

Kurama turned to look at Yusuke, who was now smirking at him. He raised an eyebrow to the strange look in the punk's eyes. Yusuke began to smirk even more. "I'm going to bed. Pleasant dreams, foxboy," said the punk in a sing-song voice.

Kurama was more bewildered than ever by the Spirit Detective's strange behavior. He, too, decided that it was getting late and headed to his room, thinking about the ferry girl along the way.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_

_He was sitting in his room, playing video games. He was about to enter level 16 of _Goblin City _when he heard a terrified scream echo throughout the house. He immediately opened the door and ran downstairs. He found a young woman lying on the floor. Her hair was disheveled, so he couldn't see her face. As he neared her limp form, he heard laughter. It was high-pitched and maniacal._

_"You thought that you could get rid of me that easily, eh?" asked the voice._

_As he turned around to see the source of the voice, five long, snake-like objects made their way into his chest cavity, plunging deeper and deeper towards his heart._

Kuwabara jerked out of bed, screaming in terror. When he realized where he was, he stopped screaming. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and moved his shaky hand towards the upper left side of his chest. Nothing was there. He then noticed that Yusuke was still snoring on the top bunk, unaware of the situation below him.

_'But it felt so real,'_ thought the carrot-topped teen. He thought about the dream again and shuddered. Kuwabara decided that it meant nothing and went back to sleep.

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Well, here is the ending to another chapter. Hey, it took me a lot less time to get this chapter up, woop-woop! Hopefully, I can get Chap.5 up in no time. Thanks for reading and I hope that I don't let you guys down. Until next time…. ;-P 

**_- Kit -_**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Author's Notes:_** Hey guys! I know that I haven't updated in a really long time (like since 7/27/05, lolz), but I'm here to make up for it today, lol. Anywayz, here's Chapter 5 of _Haunted_. I hope that you enjoy it, and I'll be back later with some more author's notes.

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**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of the characters. If I did, I would have to go and live in the Witness Protection Program.

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**Haunted

* * *

Chapter 5

* * *

"talking"  
**_'thinking'_  
_…dreaming…**

* * *

**_

Kuwabara woke up the next day thankful that he didn't have any more nightmares. He left Yusuke sleeping on the top bunk and ventured into the kitchen.

"I wonder if it's that haze of stupidity that gives you that drowsy look everyday?" greeted Hiei. Genkai was in the living room and Shizuru was having a cup of coffee, while Kurama was reading the newspaper. Yukina and Keiko were in the kitchen. Botan had gone out into the garden.

"Hey shrimp, you're just lucky that I'm a morning person, or else I would have kicked your butt by now!" retorted Kuwabara. Hiei was about to reply when Yukina walked into the room with a tray filled with pancakes and syrup.

"YUKINA! Let me help you with that!"

"Why thank you, Kazuma," replied the ice apparition. She began to giggle when she noticed that Yusuke had snuck in and tried to trip his best friend, only to be slapped by Keiko in the process.

"YUSUKE, YOU IDIOT! DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT TOOK YUKINA AND ME TO MAKE THIS WONDERFUL BREAKFAST!"

At this point and time, the Spirit Detective had already made himself comfortable at the table. He was about to devour the tower of flapjacks in front of him when Keiko began with another rant.

"YUSUKE URAMESHI! PLEASE DON'T TELL ME THAT YOU ARE GOING TO START EATING WITHOUT EVERYONE HERE!"

"Okay, I won't," came his carefree reply. Keiko's hand was so fast that not even Hiei would have been able to spot it so easily. Everyone (including Hiei) sweatdropped as the brunette began to mercilessly beat her boyfriend to a pulp. There was so much commotion that Genkai left the living room to go see what was going on. She ignored the fighting couple and sat down at the table.

"What's for breakfast?" asked the elderly psychic.

"Pancakes with maple syrup, toast, and your choice of coffee, juice, or milk," Yukina announced proudly, as Keiko pointed to the condiments sitting on the table.

"Is everyone here so that I can finally start eating?" asked a very grumpy Yusuke.

His girlfriend shot him a deadly glare. "No, Botan isn't here yet. Does anyone know where she went?"

As always, Genkai had an answer. "She looked a little sidetracked, and decided to go out for a walk in the garden. She hasn't returned?"

Shizuru spoke up. "No. But I think she'll be back soon. Does anyone know why she's acting so strangely?" Everyone shook their heads. Keiko knew why, but didn't say anything.

"I'll go get her," was all Keiko could say. She was heading towards the door when Genkai stopped her.

"Keiko, you should sit here and enjoy your hard work. Kurama, would you please go and get her?"

Kurama looked up from his newspaper, a little surprised. "Oh, yes, of course, Genkai." With that, he rose from his seat at the table and left for the garden. Genkai gave Keiko a look and began to eat her breakfast.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_

Botan was sitting in the grass, staring at the clear blue sky above her. A cool breeze blew by, gently weaving its way through her ponytail. Although she was there, her mind was not. She kept thinking about the conversation that she and Keiko had the night before. She had finally admitted her feelings about the kitsune to someone, but for all she knew, it could have been an unrequited love.

_'Why can't I get him out of my head?'_ thought the apparition. She shook her head in an effort to get him out of her mind, but it was all in vain. Botan lifted her head and continued to stare at the endless sky. She spun around when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Oh, Kurama! I'm sorry I didn't hear you coming," was Botan's surprised reply.

Kurama found a patchof grass and sat down next to Botan. "Actually, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have startled you the way I did."

"That's okay. I wasn't really doing anything anyway. By the way, why are you here?"

Remembering the reason why, Kurama stood up. "Breakfast is ready. Genkai sent me to find you." He held out a hand to the deity.

The ferry girltook his hand and stood up. "Oh," said a disappointed Botan, her eyes downcast. "Is that all?"

"No. There's something else." She raised her eyes to Kurama's. "Here." And with that, the kitsune handed the apparition a beautiful red rose.

"I heard that you weren't feeling like yourself. Is there anything that you want to talk about, Botan?"

The kind gesture caught the ferry girl completely off guard. She took the rose and gave Kurama a warm smile.

"No, but thank you. I already feel much better."

Kurama returned the act with an equally affectionate smile. "Well, I'm happy to hear that, Botan. Let's get back to the temple before Yusuke eats all of the pan--"

Kurama felt his head throb as his knees buckled and his vision began to blur.

_Before him was the flower-filled field from his dream. He was no longer running towards the girl, but holding her in his arms. His hands became clawed and sharp. His fiery locks were silver and his ears were atop his head. Golden orbs stared wide-eyed at his hands. They were covered in blood, **her** blood._

_He turned the girl around and found a wound on her stomach. Youko didn't know how, but he had gutted the girl with his own claws._

Meanwhile, a very frightened Botan stared in horror as Kurama fought to hold himself up. His knees were buckling out of control. He shut his eyes as tight as he could. He held his head in his hands and was screaming in pain.

"Kurama! What's wrong? What's going on?" shouted the deity. Kurama lifted his head and opened his eyes. They were no longer jade green. They were a pain-filled amber.

"B- Botan," was all a weak Kurama could say before his legs gave out. He collapsed to the ground unconscious. Botan dropped the rose and ran towards the fallen kitsune, tears falling from her cotton candy eyes.

"Kurama! Please, wake up! I'm not in the mood for your sly fox routine!" Botan could barely keep it together. She began to shake his limp form frantically, as if to wake him from slumber. "KURAMA! KURAMA!"

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_

Hiei's Jagan began to glow. The group turned away from their breakfast as they heard an agonizing scream coming from the back garden.

Hiei was already heading towards the door. "Something's wrong. I can't sense Kurama's spirit energy."

Yusuke and Genkai felt it too. "Then, why are we still standing here?" was Yusuke's final reply as he, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Genkai ventured towards the garden, leaving a worried Keiko, a frightened Yukina, and a smoking Shizuru behind.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_

Kurama began to stir. He awoke to find himself in his room, lying on his bed. A pair of relieved amethyst eyes met his now green ones.

"Oh, Kurama! Thank goodness! You've finally woken up!" Botan ran to his side and hugged Kurama as tightly as she could.

The kitsune returned her hug and held his throbbing head. "What happened?"

The ferry girl finally let go of Kurama. "You mean you don't remember?"

"Well," began a groggy Kurama, "I remember being sent to get you from the back garden." He then noticed the rose clutched in Botan's hands. "And I gave that to you because I wanted to cheer you up. Then we got up to leave and it's all unclear from there."

"Y-you fainted." Botan's head was down, her bangs covering her eyes. Her voice was so strained that it had gone from relief to melancholy almost instantly. "You were holding your head and screaming in pain. Then you looked at me, and your eyes had gone from green to amber. After that, you passed out. Yusuke and Kuwabara carried you up to your room. Hiei did a mind scan with his Jagan, while Genkai checked to make sure that nothing was physically wrong with you."

At the mention of amber eyes, the memory of the whole experience came flooding back to the kitsune. He hid his shocked expression from the Reikai apparition before him. "Thank you for looking after me, Botan. I really do appreciate it."

The deity flashed that famous bubbly smile of hers. "At least you're back to normal now, huh?" She gave Kurama a relieved hug. "Well, I'm going to tell the others that everything is fine. I'll be right back," was the response from a cheery Botan as she left the room to find the others.

Kurama sat himself up on his bed. His head was still throbbing, but with each moment, the pain was subsiding. The pain was the least of his worries. The kitsune was more worried about the episode that he had experienced a couple of hours ago. _'What is going on? Why would I unintentionally transform into Youko? And why would I want to hurt **her**?'_

As Kurama was trying to come up with some answers for this strange incident, Hiei and Yusuke walked into his room.

"Hey, Kurama, how're ya doing?" asked the concerned Spirit Detective.

"I've had better days, if that's what you mean," replied the kitsune.

"We aren't here on a leisurely visit, fox," Hiei said in a stern manner.

"Yeah, Kurama," chimed Yusuke, "what happened earlier was really weird. Was that the first time that you fainted like that?"

"Yes. Today was the first time."

Yusuke pressed on. "Did something trigger that attack?"

"No. I was just getting ready to head back towards the temple with Botan when my vision went blurry."

Yusuke looked at Hiei, who just nodded in agreement. "Kurama, did something happen to you while you were out cold? I mean, did u have any dreams?"

Kurama was bewildered by the question. Hiei saw this and just decided to be blunt. "You were apologizing to someone while you were unconscious."

That statement definitely confirmed Kurama's suspicions about his dream. He knew what this meant, but he decided against telling Hiei and Yusuke about it.

"No, I'm sorry, but I don't remember anything except for what Botan and you two have told me."

"Don't worry about it, Kurama. I bet that this could have been an anxiety attack or something," the Spirit Detective said with a smile. "I'll see you later. Hiei, you coming?"

The koorime wasn't buying it, but went along with it anyway. "Hn."

As they left, Yukina, Shizuru, Kuwabara, and Keiko came in to see how the fox was doing. Botan wasn't among them.

Kurama noticed this and asked about her. "Where's Botan? I thought that she left to go find you."

"She did, but she said that she wanted to go and freshen up for a bit," replied Yukina, "she's been gone for a while now. I hope that she's feeling okay."

"I bet she's just putting on some more make-up before we head out," Kuwabara put in.

Keiko was feeling a little worried about her best friend and her nerve-racking morning. "I'll go find her. I'll be right back." The brunette opened the door and left the room, making her way towards the room that she and Botan shared.

Kurama was a little worried as well. _'I hope that she is feeling all right,'_ he hoped to himself.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_

After informing the others of Kurama's condition, Botan had gone to her room to clean up. She was looking for a hairbrush and couldn't find one. Finally, she decided to look for one in the bathroom. When she did find one, she removed her scrunchy (sp?) and began to brush her cerulean hair. She looked into the mirror and saw her face. Lines of worry had etched themselves across her placid features. Then, she found the rose that Kurama had given to her. She held the delicate flower in her hand. She studied it for a while, then held it close to her heart. Tears began to fill her eyes as she dropped the brush and slumped to the bathroom floor. She wrapped her arms around her legs and buried her face in her knees. She began to sob quietly, all the while still holding the rose in her hand.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_

Keiko opened the door. She saw the bathroom light on and headed towards it. She was surprised to find Botan crying.

"Botan, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

The ferry girl lifted her tear-stained face. Keiko sat down next to her and hugged her, letting Botan cry into her shoulder.

"Botan, what's the matter?" asked the honey-eyed teen. Then Keiko noticed the red rose in the deity's hand. She finally understood.

"Honey, its okay. Kurama is going to be fine."

For a while, Botan didn't say anything. Keiko did not know what else to do, so she decided to stroke the ferry girl's hair.

"I almost lost him." Botan's voice was almost inaudible, even for a whisper. "It terrified me knowing that there was nothing that I could have done to help him," she said in between sobs. She clutched the rose even tighter. "I was there the whole time, and all I could do was scream my lungs out. I don't know what I would have done if Yusuke and the others hadn't shown up."

"Don't say that! You did the best that you could," reassured Keiko. "You didn't know that something was going to happen to him. Like I said before, you did the best that you possiblycould. You were there by his side, and never left him for a second. That's what really counts in the long run."

Botan couldn't have asked for a better friend than Keiko. "Now come on, Kurama wants to see you. We can't keep him waiting now, can we?"

The Reikai apparition shook her head. She got up and put her hair back in a ponytail. She then placed the rose on her pillow and left with Keiko to join the other's in Kurama's room.

_**

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A/N:**_ Hey guys! I'm back again with some more author's notes. Sorry for the way overdue update. First of all, I was swamped with summer reading, which sucked a lot! Then, I got writer's block and laziness kicked in (especially when I was able to finish all three of my summer reading projects, lol). Then, school started and I've been stuck w/ homework and afterschool activities. Also, I'm a high school senior, which makes my life even worse. There's colleges and universities, college visits, recommendations, college essays, college applications, and not to mention preparing for the SAT's, ACT's, and getting good grades. 

But yeah, I know, excuses excuses. (lol) But anywayz, there's Chapter 5! Woo-hoo! I would like to leave review responses, but I'm feeling too tired to write them out, so I'll just say this:

I would like to say thank you to **ChibiBotan88**, **DemonSlayer205**, **Kestril195**, **Heather**, **Shizuru-chan**, **XxSuIcIdAl LullabyxX**, and **hieilover** for reviewing the last chapter. A special thanks goes out to **Koway Oceshia**. Without her nagging on me and my lazy butt, it would have probably taken me twice (or even three times) as long to get this chapter up, lol. So in honor of my good friend Koway, I dedicate this whole chapter to her. I love ya and don't know what I would do without ya! (except smack someone else all day at school, lol...)

So plz, read, enjoy, and leave a review, you all know how much I love them all, lol...

Until next time,

xoxo

_**- Kit -**_


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys! Man, the last time I updated here was just about almost two years ago! Well, I just have to say how sorry I am that I took sooo… freaking long to update. But enough of that already, on with the story….

(PS. more author's notes will follow this chapter…)

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_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. If I did, I would have truly died of happiness.

* * *

"talking"  
'_thinking'  
_…_dreaming…_

_**Chapter 6**_

As the two girls approached the kitsune's room, Keiko told Botan about the breakfast pancakes and Yusuke's monstrous hunger. This didn't surprise Botan at all, knowing full well the Spirit Detective's capacity for food and the people who got in his way, mainly Kuwabara. She giggled at the thought of both boys fighting over food. Keiko was happy that she had at least alleviated some of the ferry girl's worries. They came to a stop when they arrived at the door to Kurama's room.

"Well, we're here. Are you sure you're ready to go back inside, Botan?" asked Keiko.

"Yeah, as ready as I'll ever be," replied the ferry girl. Truthfully, she wasn't even sure she wanted to turn the handle. She was still a little bit shaken up over the morning's incidents, but Botan was eager to see how Kurama was doing. _'Here goes nothing…'_

Botan wrapped her slender fingers around the door handle and pushed it open. To her surprise, no one was there. Instead, the girls found Kurama soundly sleeping on the bed. Keiko was just as astonished as the Reikai apparition was. She then thought of something else. "I'm going to see if there are any pancakes left from breakfast. Genkai will come by later to see how he's doing."

Botan couldn't have asked for a more convenient way for her to be alone with Kurama. With a wink and a nod in the ferry girl's direction, Keiko exited the room, leaving Botan alone with the sleeping fox.

After Keiko had departed, Botan shyly walked towards the bed. She found a chair in the corner of the room and pulled it closer to the bed. She sat down and observed Kurama's rhythmic breathing as his chest rose up and down. Botan's eyes then moved up towards the kitsune's facial features. He looked so calm and serene as he laid there resting on the bed. The ferry girl began to admire his long eyelashes and his creamy skin. She longed to see those emerald eyes filled with laughter and love, and not like the pain she had witnessed earlier. Deciding to think about something else, Botan chose to focus on his present state.

_'He looks so peaceful when he's resting,'_ thought the deity. Just then, Kurama unconsciously moved his arm, leaving his palm open. His movements startled her, but then Botan saw his open hand. It almost seemed as if he were inviting her to hold his hand. She moved hers out in the direction of his open palm, placing her hand on top of his. Immediately, she felt her cheeks flush as she held the sleeping kitsune's hand.

Botan then lay her head on top of their hands. The deity watched Kurama as her eyelids grew heavy, eventually closing as she surrendered to her fatigue.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_

Kurama awoke in his bed feeling a little groggy. He was about to lift his right arm to stretch when he noticed that something heavy was attached to it. He turned his head to find a sleeping spirit guide holding his right hand. Botan's hand felt warm; Kurama was not sure that he really wanted to let go of her. The sight of the girl brought a warm smile to the kitsune's face. After a moment of thoughtful silence, the fox youkai gently lifted his hand from the deity's kind grasp. As he was doing this, Kurama heard a soft whisper escape the ferry girl's lips.

"Don't go," Botan murmured, "don't go, Kurama…"

A surprised look spread across Kurama's features. Before he could do anything else, he noticed that Botan shivered a little bit. The kitsune found a blanket on a nearby chair and placed it over her shoulders. As he made his way towards the door, he took one last look at the sleeping form hunched over his bed. Only one question popped into his mind, '_Why would she be dreaming about me?_' And with that, Kurama slipped through the door and shut it quietly behind him.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_

The kitsune made his way down the hall towards the living room. There, he found Yusuke and Kuwabara playing video games, while Keiko and Yukina sat talking quietly in a corner of the room. The Spirit Detective sensed his presence and paused the game. Kuwabara began to shout insults at his best friend, only to follow his gaze towards the entrance of the living room.

"Hey Kurama. How're ya feeling?" asked a concerned Yusuke. Kuwabara turned around to face the kitsune, his eyes mirroring the worry he felt in the Spirit Detective's question. At this, Keiko and Yukina looked up from their conversation.

"Much better," replied Kurama. "In fact, I think we should be getting ready to head out now."

At his last statement, everyone in the room eyed the fox spirit with surprise. Kuwabara was the first to recover from the shock of Kurama's words.

"Uh, Kurama, I think it'd be better if you just stayed – "

"You needn't worry about me, Kuwabara," the fox spirit interjected, "as I've already said, I'm feeling much better than I was this morning." Kurama looked around the room and noticed some people were missing, particularly the owner of the compound. In noting her absence, the following question left the kitsune's lips, "Where's Genkai?"

"Right behind you."

The kitsune was merely startled by the elderly psychic's silent entrance. Genkai took note of this and spoke up. "I also take it that you didn't even sense me standing near you, did you Kurama?"

At this statement, Kurama chose not to respond too quickly. If his friends found out the truth, then they would never leave that morning's incidents alone. They would have also wanted to investigate it further, trying to find answers as to why their friend was in obvious trouble. Genkai, being the observant person that she always is, had noticed the kitsune's hesitation to answer her question. Instead, she tried a different tactic: a direct, innocent approach in front of his friends. "Kurama, this is very unlike you. What is really going on with you?"

The fox saw through the elderly woman's strategy and came up with one of his own. "As I've said before, nothing is wrong with me. And to answer your previous question, Genkai, I did not sense you because you had caught me off guard. Today is just an off day for me, is all. As you can see, I am more than ready to…"

Kurama's train of thought began to falter as he noticed that the occupants of the room were no longer looking at him. He then sensed a familiar ki and followed their gazes. He spun around to see that Botan had been standing right behind him. Although her facial expression was unreadable, her amethyst eyes spoke volumes. That's when the fox apparition realized that she had witnessed everything.

"Botan, I…" But before the youkai spirit could explain himself to the deity, Kurama felt a stinging sensation on his left cheek as Botan slapped him hard across the face. He turned to look at the deity, surprised to see the angry look on her pretty features. Keiko and Yukina just gasped while Yusuke and Kuwabara both flinched as they watched the sight before them. Keiko knew all too well how Botan felt, as she began to reflect on the many times that she argued with the Spirit Detective each time a new, and evidently dangerous, case arose.

"I heard everything, Kurama. How can you even think about going out and looking for Sensui?!" started Botan.

Holding his sore left cheek, Kurama had a response of his own. "That is our only option at the moment. We can't afford to waste time while that demon is loose here in Ningenkai."

Botan saw him caressing his sore face and commented back. "I thought that slapping you would have knocked some sense into that head of yours, but I guess that I was wrong!" Her voice began to rise. "Or have you forgotten about what happened to you this morning?!"

At the reference to his earlier 'episode', the fox began his own retort. "No, I haven't forgotten, Botan. But all that is past now, and we have to rememb–…"

"Remember what? That you're not feeling like yourself?" Botan could feel her anger rising again. "What makes you think that you'd be able to take Sensui on in your condition? Do you really think you'd last long in a fight with him?!"

Kurama could see where this conversation was headed. "You have to realize that I will not be going after him alone, Botan. I'll have Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei and even Genkai on my side. There's strength in numbers, and considering our track record, I'd say that Sensui will certainly have something to worry about."

Her emotions got the better of her as Botan interrupted the kitsune again. "Please don't stand here and try to lie to my face." Anger and hurt shone in the deity's eyes. "There is obviously something wrong with you, even though you keep denying it. Why can't you just let us help you?" At this point, the Reikai apparition was trying to suppress her tears.

The fox spirit was taken aback by the deity's words. In fact, everyone in the room was. They all saw the truth in what Botan was saying, but what could they do? A dangerous demon was on the loose, and they couldn't very well postpone the search because one of their teammates wasn't at their 100 best. At the moment, the smartest choice was the only reasonable one. Their silence was proof enough of that.

There was a long period of silence that followed before Yusuke finally decided to speak up. "Botan, Kurama's right." Everyone turned around to look at the Spirit Detective. "We really can't waste time sitting here doing nothing. And besides, me and the others will be sure to look after old foxboy here. I bet kicking demon ass is all that he really needs to feel like himself again."

"Yeah, Urameshi's right." This time, it was Kuwabara's turn to talk. "We can't go on without Kurama. His smarts have saved our butts more times than I can count. He's an important part of our team and leaving him behind just wouldn't be right."

Botan couldn't believe her ears. Not only had her plea fallen on the deaf ears of the kitsune, but it had also been ignored by the others as well. She turned towards Genkai for support, but the elderly psychic only shook her head in response, making all remaining hope melt away. The ferry girl turned her defeated gaze towards Kurama, flashing him an angry, hurt look before she ran from the room.

At her hurried departure, Yukina stood up and ran after the distraught Reikai apparition.

"How could you guys be so insensitive?" blurted Keiko. She was now standing and glaring at all three of the Reikai Tantei. "You have no idea, do you? What it's like worrying about someone all the time, never knowing whether or not they'll come back dead or alive." The young woman made her way across the room, her eyes remained fixed on them.

"You can't see it, but Botan is being strong. She's still a little freaked out about what happened this morning. Those smiles she had on earlier were just to make us all think that she's okay. But she isn't." Keiko was just about out the door when she left the boys with one more thought. "You guys have to remember that while you're out there fighting, we're here fighting with our own emotions, knowing that our support is just as good as any weapon that you possess."

Just before she left, Yusuke stopped her at the door. "We know that, Keiko. We know that better than anyone."

Keiko turned around and looked into her boyfriend's eyes with understanding ones of her own. "I know you do, Yusuke, but sometimes, it seems as if we have to send out reminders about the roles we play in all of this too." The honey-eyed girl's features softened a little as she addressed the rest of the group with her final message before leaving to look for Botan. "Just don't forget that whatever you guys do, it affects us as well."

Kurama, Yusuke and Kuwabara stood in silence as they reflected over Keiko's words. Everything she said was true, but there wasn't really anything either of them could do about it. In truth, all they could do in return was to fight to keep those they held dear safe from any threat. After all, their biggest fear was losing the ones they loved to their enemies, and that was a fear they fought hard to ensure that it never came true.

Genkai rose from the corner she was sitting in and cleared her throat, waking the boys from their reveries. "We have to develop a plan for this mission. Yusuke, Kuwabara, go find everyone else and bring them here."

"Why do I have to go, ya old hag? Can't you send dufus boy here on his own?" complained the young mazoku heir. But his complaint barely registered with the elderly psychic as she sent the Spirit Detective an evil glare. "On second thought, I don't spend enough time taking in the sights at your house," Yusuke replied with an uneasy laugh. He then added while pulling on his best friend's collar, "Come on, Kuwabara, let's go for a walk."

"Hey, Urameshi! What are you doing?" choked out the carrot-top as they left the living room in search of the rest of their team.

"You know they're right," Genkai said to Kurama as she watched the retreating backs of the two teens. "They all made valid points. I would think it wise to take their advice, at least for their own sakes if not for your own, Kurama."

At this, the kitsune said nothing, his silence being his true answer. In his heart and mind, Kurama could see the truth in the aging psychic's words. He knew how much his friends cared for him, but he just couldn't have them worrying over something as trivial as his health. Instead of telling her the answer she wanted to hear, he walked towards an open window and replied, "Hiei's on his way. I can sense him coming towards us."

Genkai could only look at the fox and shake her head. _'At least his energy is back to normal,'_ thought the old woman. She noticed that his spiritual and demonic energy were returning to their usual levels, but something was off and the psychic couldn't put her finger on it. Genkai knew that she wasn't going to get anymore information out of him for the time being, so she sat back down and waited in silence with the kitsune for the others to return.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ Hey guys! As you can tell, I'm back, alive and kicking. That writer's block was really a pain in the butt, but now I'm ready to kick some fanfic booty with _Haunted_. My first year of college, homework, endless papers, life-sucking exams, commuting, and other college-like business have kept me away from my loyal fans. But, what is the point in giving valid excuses when I know that I made all of you wait to read this next chapter? So, no excuses from me this time, only an apology, an update, and the promise of a oneshot coming near you (by the end of next week hopefully, xD…) 

I will apologize that this chapter is not filled with action yet either. But don't despair, cuz the next chapter is where everything really starts to heat up, so please stay tuned. (I guarantee it, xD…)

Anywho, I would just like to take the time now to thank **LeFoxy**, **Kuronoko Tsubame**, **TheDemonQueen1**, **midnight 1987**, **Youko-Botan**, **BrunaK+B**, **Kudachi**, **ChibiBotan88**, **Infatuated-Simplicity**, **Koway Oceshia**, **Heather**, and **Prismdragon**. To be graced with the presence of all of this talent is really an honor, so thank you all for reviewing. You guys really give me the encouragement I need to keep going with this fic. Also, I would like to once again dedicate this chapter to **Koway Oceshia**. She graduated from my old high school last week and I couldn't be happier that she has finally been liberated from that place, xD… So Koway, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Well, that's all of the author's notes that I have for now. Please R&R and tell me how this story is going so far. Your input really helps me out, lol…

Until next time,

- _**Kit**_ -


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